REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, KOTA KINABALU -- A group of armed people reportedly abducted two Indonesian fishermen working on a local fishing vessel in Semporna waters in the Malaysian state of Sabah early Tuesday. The local media reported that the group of people, armed with M-16 rifles, ascended the fishing boat and abducted two crew members at around 1 a.m. local time.
Two other crew members survived the abduction attempt, as they hid in one of the fishing boat's compartments. They later reported the incident to the police in Semporna.
Both the police and the Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCOM) confirmed the abduction. It was the first of its kind in the past two years.
Spokesman for Sabah Police Omar Mammah confirmed the abduction, saying that the police are still investigating the motive behind the abduction.
"At around midnight, two people, armed with M-16 rifles, abducted (two fishermen) in the waters of Gaya Island," he stated.
He noted that the two fishermen were sailing on a boat when the armed group kidnapped them. They took them to an unknown location.
"We believe the abduction case has to do with a kidnap-for-ransom (KFR) group. However, we have yet to receive any request from any party for ransom," he remarked.
An official of the Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur confirmed the abduction.
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